YWCA breaks ground for new facility

For over a year, the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) has been working toward a National Resource Center to be established in Belmopan. With financial assistance from the European Union, the YWCA took a major step toward accomplishing that goal with a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, to begin the construction of the National Enterprise Development Center. The EU provided a grant of approximately one million, seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars for the construction of the four thousand square foot multi-purpose facility. The project is expected to provide economic opportunities for women, young girls and youths in the rural areas of the Cayo District and surrounding communities, extending to Dangriga. According to the YWCA’s Public Relations Director, Ann-Marie Williams, the building will house the Belmopan chapter of the organization among many other functions.

Ann-Marie Williams, Public Relations Director, YWCA

Ann-Marie Williams

“In February, when we are expecting to complete the building, we have a group of about fifty women and youths who will be coming in from, particularly the Cayo District and some of the villages that will be given an opportunity to do marketing development, they will look at some of the ways and how they can start up small business, look at business mentorship and also provide an outlet for economic opportunities because this building will house a variety outlet or a market where a lot of their produce can be put on sale. And when the project is not on, on the nights and weekends, the people in this area and surrounding areas can use the building because it will house classrooms, there will be a computer lab and a basketball court will also be on the grounds. So we don’t only want the building for the project, we want the building to be useful. It’s also an opportunity for the YWCA to continue its growth and development because after fifty-six years, we only have a chapter in Belize City and this building will actually house a chapter of the Belmopan YWCA. So again, we look at that as a great time for the Y.”

The National Enterprise Development Center is the second EU funded initiative by the Y and falls under the Belize Rural Development Project.

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